New building, new deli, same urban atmosphere at Kavarna Coffeehouse

Aug. 20, 2010

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The interior of Parisi's Deli inside Kavarna looking out at the Broadway Farmers Market. Both restaurants are serving inside the spacious new digs at 143 N. Broadway in Green Bay. / H. Marc Larson/Press-Gazette

Signature Dish

The New Deal, Crescenza-Stracchino (a tangy, spreadable cheese that originates in the Lombardy and Romagna regions of Italy, made by BelGioioso in Denmark), thinly shaved Prosciutto di Parma and arugula served on a baguette. $8.75.

“It’s one of the beautiful things about (the Parisi’s Deli) project … I remembered the Stracchino from Italy and had missed it terribly,” said Parisi’s owner Alex Galt. “Then I discovered that BelGioioso started making it. When I had it again, it was kind of like these floodgates of nostalgia opened.”

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Odd as it may seem, there are times when Alex Galt is jealous of his own success.

At least that’s how it can feel when a slow Saturday at Parisi’s Delicatessen leads to envious stares across the room at Kavarna, the busy vegetarian coffeehouse Galt owns with his wife, Linda.

Then again, it’s easy to forget the growing pains of starting a new restaurant, especially one housed in the same building as their recently relocated old restaurant on North Broadway.

“There’s definitely been some confusion about it since we started Parisi’s,” Linda said. “People might think we have one kitchen now, but there’s a certain way this has all been constructed.”

“We have two separate kitchens, two staffs …” Alex added.

“We do share a dishwasher, though,” Linda said, laughing.

Step inside and you’ll find it’s not so complicated.

In May, Kavarna moved to the former Jones Motor Co. building — its Egyptian revival façade offering major curb appeal — from the small South Broadway spot it called home since 1999. Upon announcing the move, Alex began conceptualizing a second, separate restaurant inside the same space: Parisi’s Delicatessen.

While a unique setup for Green Bay, having two businesses side-by-side creates a wealth of options for food lovers of all persuasions. But the dynamic is distinctive since Parisi’s specializes in gourmet sandwiches made with local artisanal cheeses and grass-fed meats, the latter a drastic departure from Kavarna’s vegetarian menu.

“We did have one lady come to the deli, and she was kind of mad because she thought Kavarna had started serving meat,” Linda said. “So the woman working at the deli said, ‘Well, I’m happy to tell you that you are not in Kavarna. You’re in Parisi’s.’

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“Then she ordered a grilled cheese … and loved it. I thought that was pretty funny.”

There’s a reason customers feel protective of Kavarna. Its urban atmosphere symbolizes big-city progress without the loss of small-town charm, Linda said. It’s also why, despite the aesthetic makeover, the Galts didn’t alter a menu that regulars have a “very personal relationship with.”

“I’ve had people tell me the presence of Kavarna has been one of the deciding factors for them accepting jobs in Green Bay,” Alex said. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

A responsibility that now extends to Parisi’s, which was inspired by street food and sandwiches from Alex’s travels throughout the United States and Europe.

Though global in concept, Parisi’s hopes to source everything locally. For now, the foundation is roughly 10 sandwiches and a select deli case, or about “30 percent” of where Alex would like to be once diversity builds with networking experience.

Customers will also be able to order from both Kavarna and Parisi menus once the infrastructure is established.

“The future will definitely bring more retail, more dry goods, more hot food,” Alex said. “Food tastings and special events, something like a mussels night, because right now I’m obsessed with mussels.”

Ultimately, that’s the biggest blessing with spacious new digs – the amount of freedom offered customers, and therefore, the Galts’ creative urges.

In addition to a newly installed joint catering venture, both restaurants plan to serve Sunday brunch and promote events like square dances and an indoor croquet tournament. The Galts would also love to start their own series of local food tours and demonstrations. For instance, a pizza night that allows foodies to hop on a bus to see where the mozzarella and tomatoes originate as the homemade crust bakes.

“We’ve always had ideas. Now we can run with them,” Linda said. “Arriving in a situation like this, we really want to explore all possibilities.”